The data centers used to manage the country’s ballistic missile defense systems have major security weaknesses that could leave the US vulnerable to missile attacks, according to a newly declassified report from the Department of Defense.
The report, released earlier this month by the DoD’s Inspector General, lists a number of security problems, everything from unlocked doors to unpatched software vulnerabilities dating back decades. One vulnerability, for example, dated back to 1990, but still had not been mitigated.
“Officials… did not consistently implement security controls and processes to protect BMDS technical information,” the report said. That could allow enemies of the US to learn how to get around the missile defense system, “leaving the United States vulnerable to deadly missile attacks.”
